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| Credit: Bob Yoder |
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| Rosemarie Ives |
Rosemarie Ives, former mayor 1992-2007
I am speaking again against the Sammamish Juanita Transmission Line. Though much information was provided, I have one question: why did City staff support Puget Sound Energy’s business interests over the environmental interests of the people of Redmond AND the Puget Sound region who have committed to preserve the Sammamish Valley farmlands and open spaces for decades?
After becoming mayor in 1992, the Comprehensive Plan identified the east-west Transmission line at NE 95th Street as the northern boundary for manufacturing and industrial uses and with everything north remaining rural. The owners of the land north of that transmission line approached the City with a proposal for a golf course that is Willows Run today. After extensive negotiations, the City agreed to zone the property “urban recreation” with the understanding that this land would remain “open space,” with the owners required to uphold a long list of environmental regulations and responsibilities, and that in perpetuity, the golf course would remain open to the public. I believed strongly that zoning for a golf course was the best way to preserve the historically rural Valley, protecting it from any kind of business, manufacturing or industrial intrusion.
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| l-r Mark Stuart, Siri Bliesner, Eric Lalibert, Chris Carlson, Leah Choi |
Redmond, Wash. – The Lake Washington School District Board of Directors named a new President, Vice President and Legislative Representative during their regular board meeting on Tuesday, June 21, 2023.
Board reorganization takes place once per year, at the second School Board Meeting in June.
Comments (BY):
Siri Bliesner has been been very involved in City of Redmond governmental activities. She is on the Redmond Vision 2050 Committee and the Council compensation committee, to name two.
Leah Choi was elected in 2021, has young family and appears to be rising fast within the Board. She was supported by Redmond Councilmember Jeralee Anderson during her campaign.
Mark Stuart is a people person with a great sense of humor. He is extremely popular in the community with endless endorsements. The Board listen's to him.
IMO, Eric Laliberte is the "most improved leader" and one of the best Presidents
I've seen. He did a fantastic job leading the Board through the pandemic. A true asset to the District.
--Bob Yoder, opinion, 6/21/2022
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| Varisha Kahn |
Varisha Khan is a first-time city council member in Redmond. She drafted, proposed and passed recent legislation that protects Redmond residents from late fees and evictions, and offers support during other hardships. She recognizes this pandemic as a collective trauma for society and the only way she feels she can cope is by doing what she knows: helping her community through writing humane policy that mends a frayed social safety net."
-- Dorothy Edwards, June 22, 2020, Crosscut.
In addition to remote attendance Varisha presided over the Public Safety Committee for several months and coordinated the new Safety and Sustainability work plan. Other than that, her in-person attendance was rare until last night.
Since not everyone participates when attending remotely, the Mayor started a roll call policy for accountability.
Councilmember Kahn's constituents are diverse and her representation is critical. Ms. Kahn is the youngest councilmember in the history of this City. She's a woman in her mid-twenties (the average age in Redmond is 34.5 yrs.) She's a Muslim. And, she's a native, having graduated from Horace Mann Elementary.
The six councilmembers have worked hard to carry her load. Varisha is pretty confident. She is articulate, likes to talk, and eventually makes her point heard.
-- Bob Yoder, 6/22/2022
The Facebook Oculus development is not solely "Building X." Facebook Oculus has permits for eleven buildings on Willows Road totaling $106 million.
Thus, the need for the "10 Minute Community" on 124th and Willows, which is currently under construction. 6/21/2022,
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| A picture of a model of Facebook’s proposed Building X in Redmond. It will include trees on rooftops to help it blend into the surrounding forest.The rooftop forest will cover 2.5 acres. The remaining roof will have solar panels. Credit: Redmond Reporter |
In the documents, Building X is planned to be constructed in a way that makes it hard to see, if not invisible, from the road and [Willows Run] golf course. It will be set back from the road in addition to having trees planted on many of its roofs. Two existing buildings onsite will be demolished.
Facebook is hiring, looking to fill more than 170 positions in Redmond, including nearly 70 for Facebook Reality Labs and 38 for Oculus, its virtual reality program. Facebook already has space in Redmond near the Microsoft campus and it is unclear how many of these positions would be placed at Building X. It also remains unknown exactly what will be researched at the Building X facility, but plans call for several of its labs to have high, glass ceilings to let in natural light.
-- By Aron Kunkler, Redmond Reporter, 11/16/2018
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| "Building X" is directly across from Willows Run Golf course. It will have 1,400 parking spaces under the building and 678,000 square feet of space. Photo, Bob Yoder What is Oculus? -- Compiled by Yoder, 6/21/2022 |
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| Mayor Angela Birney / redmond.gov |
Term: 2020-2023
Elected as Mayor in 2019, Angela Birney is now in her first term as Mayor of Redmond. The community of over 72,000 is home to a variety of several large industries such as aerospace, high tech, video game production, and biotech, as well as thousands of small businesses where over 85,000 people are employed.
As Mayor, she is the executive leader who develops the vision and implements the strategies for Redmond. She oversees eight departments and over 700 employees. The Mayor collaborates with Council to set policies for the City of Redmond.
The Mayor serves on the Sound Cities Association Board as President, King County Council Regional Policy Committee, Puget Sound Regional Council Executive Board, Cascade Water Alliance Board as Vice Chair, King County Regional Homelessness Authority, OneRedmond Board, Hopelink Board of Directors, King County-Cities Climate Collaboration (K4C), I-405/SR 167 Executive Advisory Committee, and Sound Cities Association Public Issues Committee as an alternate.
Mayor Birney was elected to City Council in 2015 and served as Council President from 2018 to 2019. Prior to her Council service, she was the chair of the Redmond Parks and Trails Commission and volunteered her time at several different organizations throughout the Redmond community. She is a 2017 Leadership Eastside graduate.
Angela is a Washington native and grew up in Eastern Washington. She moved to Redmond in 1998. Formerly a middle school science teacher, she earned a Master of Education from Heritage University and a Bachelor of Arts in Biology Education from Eastern Washington University. She lives on Education Hill with her husband and daughters.
Per "Redmond 2050" Mayor Birney is working with two visioning concepts:
1) Vision is "the intersection of community aspirations, market input, and physical opportunities."
2) Vision is "Where growth will go and what it will look like."
Mayor Birney is asking for community feedback. I like the following Vision definition: "What Redmond will look like after we're finished changing it."
-- Bob Yoder, 6/16/2022
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| Rosemary Ives / soundaction.org |
Four years ago, former Redmond Mayor Rosemarie Ives (1992-2007) funded a new scholarship to support a Redmond High School graduate furthering her/his education.
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| Three landmark oak trees. The Design Review Board says one must go. |
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| The Oak Heritage Tree Chris Weber, Arts Administrator next to trunk (click to enlarge) |
Opinion: Mayor Angela Birney's "Senior & Community Center" groundbreaking ceremony yesterday was fabulous. After the ceremony, we walked to City Hall for a poster session and to meet *city staff, our elected and city leaders.
We were asked to "vote with stones" for a building name we liked best. I recommended "Red Oak Senior Center" on one side and "Redmond Community Center" on the other side. I really hope it's the peoples' choice. So, what's so special about "Northern Red Oaks" Quercus Rubra?
* SEEN: Hank Myers, Hank Margeson, Vanessa Kritzer, Angela Birney, Pat Vache', Arnie Tomac, Laura Lee Bennett, John Oftebro, Cherl Strong Magnuson, Rosemarie Ives, John Couch, Jessica Forsythe, Eric Dawson (project manager,) Zach Houvener, Loreen Hamilton (parks director.) Jim Kalelage (architect,) John Marchione, Sue Stewart, Chris Weber, Marty Boggs, David and Chip.
Source: https://localtreeestimates.com/northern-red-oak/
-- Bob Yoder, opinion, photo, 6/3/2022
Woodinville is designing some attractive buildings and open places for pedestrians and bicycles. These buildings are next to City Hall.
Opinion: A few, but not many, architectural designs of downtown Redmond buildings are "inspired by history." Unlike Woodinville, our City doesn't have an overarching design theme. Redmond's use of history for design is sporadic and unsupported by code. As a result, buildings don't always use the most appropriate materials and aren't visually connected. Wood, stone veneer and building art are uncommon. (Green scaping is more prevalent and welcome!) The proposed RTC and Nelson Villages' are remaining places where an overarching design theme can be implemented.
Designs of the following projects were "inspired" by Redmond's past:
"The Osprey" The applicant has a solid start in the design concept acknowledging the history of the region’s indigenous populations with its strong roof forms, reminiscent of the Haida house across the street in Dudley Carter Park, the City’s early timber industry with its choice of wood and stone material, and the City’s future as a modern technology hub with the building’s irregular shape and significant glazing." (DRB)
"18th & 164th" project: "The architectural design was inspired by the Cascades and the Nokomis Library of the early 1900's. How the book stacks were organized and how books can be arranged on the shelf was inspirational to the Applicant in designing elevations." (DRB)
Will Redmond have an overarching design theme to build character into Town Center? Is the theme underpinned with choices of required elements? Below, find Woodinville's approach to design code describing their theme and underpinning elements.
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Join your neighbors and our elected at the Senior & Community Center groundbreaking ceremony June 2, 8:30 a.m. - 10 a.m. Mayor Angela Birney will be holding the golden shovel! After the ceremony community members are invited to meet up at City Hall.
Find anything and everything about the Centers HERE.
Source: redmond.gov, 5/31/2022
In this image, notice the beginning of the West Lake Sammamish Blvd. exit off of SR-520. Do you see the beginnings of light rail construction on the right? The train will run right over the exit ramp.
This exit was one of the most dangerous for me in Redmond for a while, especially at night. The "fake" stop light, further down the sharp ramp was very misleading. Did this exit frighten you too? Finally, it's fixed.
The video shows two points of interest.
1) As you drive east on SR-520, notice how close the rail is to the highway.
2) Orange stormwater detention tanks are densely massed together for a good reason; the Sammamish River is immediately below the filthy construction site. Detention tanks "filter" contaminated sediment from construction runoff.
Sound transit is a steward of our environment.
--Bob Yoder, opinion/ Video Yoder, 5/29/2022
Once complete, Redmond Square Apartments will offer 1,2,3 and 4 room apartments, rooftop activities and many other amenities.
The two new 6 story buildings with approximately 623 dwelling units will be split by a narrow street (woonerf.) The site is approximately 3.47 acres. The Downtown light rail station is a block or two away. Incredibly convenient.
Approximately 30,120 square feet of commercial space is proposed at the street level along Redmond Way, Cleveland Street and 166th Avenue NE.
Legacy Partners partnered with a Chinese corporation to develop the project.
Video / Yoder, 5/26/2022
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| Property Value Data Released 5/13/2022 |
"King county hasn’t yet determined next year’s 2023 property tax bills, but the hottest local housing markets are likely to see “a double-digit increase,” said King County Assessor John Wilson."
"The local market has taken off since early in the pandemic, spurred by a combination of few houses for sale, a flood of buyers taking advantage of low mortgage-interest rates, and a continuing influx of highly paid workers with stock options. That has driven up home prices across the region and worsened housing affordability. The median sale price for a single-family house in King County hit nearly $1 million last month."
-- By Heidi Grover, Seattle Times business reporter, 5/13/2022 (excerpted, edited)
Location: AMLI: Redmond Way & Avondale Way. Adjacent McDonalds and Anderson Park; in the old Value Village mall. [An adjacent six-story "Plymouth building" will provide permanent supportive housing to 100 homeless individuals.]
The applicant proposes the construction of two adjacent buildings, referred to as the “West” building and the “East” building respectively. The project includes a "pouch porch" dog run with space for hop scotch, 4-square and living green walls. The applicant is proposing a woonerf on Avondale Way to safely connect the buildings.
Plantings and a green wall element were added along the ground level to enhance the pedestrian experience along the Redmond Central Connector. Two variations for the integration of planters and vertical green wall trellises are proposed to create visual interest along the concrete wall.
The west building is a mix of residential and retail uses and varies in height ranging from five to seven-stories. 11,070 sf of commercial retail uses located along Redmond Way. On levels two through seven, there are 249 residential units. 237 internal parking stalls are also provided at ground levels B1 and subterranean levels L1
The east building is six stories and is a multi-family apartment building. Residential amenity space is provided at the ground level. On levels two through six, there are 127 residential units. 205 internal parking stalls are also provided at ground levels B1 and subterranean levels L1.
A future elevated rail line is proposed south [and adjacent to the project] as a part of the Sound Transit Downtown Redmond Link.
-- Design Review Board, April 2022, updated 5/31/25
